Bars having adjustable seats and supporting means therefor



Feb. 25, 1958 E. .LERTL 2,824,598

BARS HAVING ADJUSTABLE SEATS AND SUPPORTING MEANS THEREFOR Filed Aug. 3. 1953. 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Ernest J- Ertl Bv.) I

ATTORNE Feb. 25, 1958 E. J. ETL 2,824,598

BARSv HAVING ADJUSTABLE SEATS AND SUPPORTING MEANS THEREFOR Filed Aug. 3, 1953 2 sheets-sheet 2 Erf/ll gm, i c b y 52 Z8 l Z? v Z7 Z5 Z9 5/ Z750 INVENTOR Enest .L Ertl 9F 7 BWM l ATroRNE United States Patent O BARS HAVING ADJUSTABLE SEATS AND SUPPORTING MEANS? THEREFR Ernest J. Ertl, Cleveland, Shin Application August 3, 1953, Serial No. 371,999

8` Claims. (CL- 15S-78) My invention relates to bars andl more particularly to seats therefor which are adjustable between an outer service position andan inner inoperativeposition adjacent tothe bar and to improved means for rigidly supporting such` seats.

In'bars designed forhomes. and particularly for use in the recreation rooms of such homes where space is frequently limited, it is desirable to provide' seatsfor the bar which may bey adjusted between an outer service position in which the seats are arranged in spaced relation to the front of the bar to an inner position inwhich the seats are arranged adjacent to the bar. It is the aim of the present invention to provide seats of this type in whichimproved means associatedV with the bar are provided to rigidly support the seats when they are in theirservice position which supportingmeans may be fullyI or substantially hidden from view when theV seats are in. their' inner inoperative position. In my improved structure the outer surface ofthe seats are preferably decorated so that when the seats are moved to their inward position', they form` ornaments on the bar.

It is therefore an object of my invention to provide an adjustable seat for bars, and particularly for bars used in recreation rooms of homes, including improved means for rigidly supporting such seats.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable seat for bars in which the supporting meansk for the seat is arranged within the bar and is substantially hidden from view when the seatk is iny its inoperative position. i

A further object of the invention is to provide'- improved seats for bars in which each seat` may bev individually adjusted between a service position. and an inner inoperative position and may be so positioned with respect to the bar in its inoperative position that it willform an ornament for the bar.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a seat for barsV in which part of the supporting means for the seeat is outside of thev barA and is arranged to be collapsed in proximity to the bar' when the seat-is' moved to its. inner inoperative position.-

My invention will be better: understood by reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a front elevational view of a portion of a bar, showing two seats arranged in front of the bar, one of which is in its extended service position and the other being in its inner inoperative position;

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view of the bar taken on a plane passing through the line 2 2 of Fig. l, looking in the direction of the arrows and showing a side elevational view of a seat which is in its inner inoperative position and the supporting means therefor.;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view taken on a plane passing through the line 3-3 of Fig. l showing the seat in full lines in its extended service position with parts of the supporting' means in crosssection;

Fig; 4 isadetail cross sectional taken o'nU ap'lane Al CC passing through the line 4--4 of Fig. 3, looking inthe direction of the arrows and showing parts of the front supporting means: in elevation; v

Fig. 5 isv a reduced` elevational view of. the fronty sup porting means; Y A Y Fig. 6 is a frontI elevational` view of a portion of a4 bar with av seat in its service position and, showing aV modilied form of a,Y support for the adjustable seat;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken onz a plane passing through the line 7e-7 of Fig. 6 looking in the direction of the arrows with: parts brokenl away to' show the supporting structure, the seat being shown in full lines inl its extended service position and in dotted lines in its inner inoperative position;`

Fig.- 8 is a plan view of the seat and the modied supportingV means therefore shown. in Figs. 6 and 7;

Fig.A 9 is an enlargedV cross sectionall view takenl on a planepassing. through: the line 9-9` of Fig. 7, looking in` the direction of the arrows with parts shown ill-eleva# tiongtand v Fig. 1.0 is an enlarged cross sectional detail View showing meansfor holdingV arsupporting leg for the seatin its extended position with the supportingy means being shown in dotted lines when the leg is in its collapsed position.

In Figs. l to 5 of the drawings, one form of my improvedv construction is shown in which the adjustable seats are arranged in front ofa bar 1 which may be of any conventional type butwhichv isf preferably of af typey which is suitable' for use irr recreation rooms in homes; As illustratedin Fig. l, the `bar comprises a counter 2 and a front wall- 3 which` is4 providedl with a plurality of spaced openings 4 throughv eachv of which extends the front end portionY of a supporting sleeve 5v which may be of any desired.v shape.r As illustrated, sleeve 5 is rec-` tangular or substantially rectangular in shape and extends substantially the entire width ofrthe bar and telescopically arranged? within the sleeve 5 is: aV similarly shaped supporting' bar 6 upon the upper outer portion of which' is mounted the seat.7. e

While theseat7 may be pivotally mountedf uponthe bar 6 in any desirable manner to permitthe seat to be moved from its opera-tive position shown in Fig. 3 to itsl inoperative position shown in Fi'g.-2, as illustratedin the drawings, ahinge is provided having one flange 8 secured to a plate 9 welded or otherwise secured to bar 6 below ay notch for receiving flange 8A and its: other flange 10 extends into a recess in the seat and is ilush with thef face of the lower wall of the seat as shown in Fig.l 3. Flange 10 is secured to the seat-7 andthe pintle between the flanges is substantially flush withthe outer end of the supportingbar 6. The seat 7 must. of. course be capable of supporting the weight ofV a` person whorutilizesfthe bar and it is therefore essential that` the seatshall be rmly supported and this is particularly true when it is in its extended service position as shown in Fig; 3` in which position it must bear the weight of. a person occupying the seat.

As shown in Fig'. l', the front portion of sleeve 5 is provided with outwardly extending ears 1-1 secured tofront wall3 and arranged inside ofthe bar and in prox-V imity to the front wall-3, a-brace isprovidedlfor support-l ing sleeve 5. Because most of the weightA ofaf personV occupying the'seat 7 will bear uponthis bracing means,y it is essential to provide a brace that-will give the desiredy support. .A suitable bracingjneans for this purpose isillustratedV i-n Figs. 3, 4, and 5 in which aV plate 12: is secured in any suitable manner, such: as by welding, to sleeve 5 and the brace consists of a plate 13 welded to' legs 14 and 15 which legs arediversely inclined toeach other anda plateY 16- having. apertures therein. is welded tov the bottom-ends of legs 14 and 15. Plate 16 is` provided with apertures' to receive screws 17 by means of which plate 16 may be secured to the floor. The plate 13 is secured to plate 12 in any suitable manner, such as by bolts 18.

Means are also provided to support the rear portion of sleeve which means serve to hold down the rear portion of sleeve 5 when the seat 7 is occupied. For this purpose, a plate 19 is welded or otherwise secured to the sleeve 5 and similarly shaped plates 20 and 21, respectively, are welded to the upper and lower ends of a brace 22, plates 19 and 20 being provided with apertures to receive bolts 23 to secure plates 19 and 20 together as shown in Fig. 2 and plate 21 being provided with apertures to receive screws 24 for fastening plate 21 to the oor. It will be noted that both the front and rear braces are arranged within the bar and consequently are hidden from view and the front brace on which most of the weight of a person occupying seat 7 rests is stronger than the rear brace 22.

As illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings, seat supporting bar 6 is slidable in sleeve 5 and means are provided to limit the outward movement of bar 6. For this purpose, the lower side of sleeve 5 is provided with a slot 25 as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 and supporting bar 6 is provided with a bolt secured thereto by suitable means, such as a nut 26, the head 27 of which bolt extends into the slot 25. The slot 25 terminates a substantial distance from the opposite ends of sleeve 5 and when the head 27 of the bolt engages the forward end of the sleeve 5, it limits the outward movement of bar 6.

When seat 7 is in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 3, it is supported by the front brace, the sleeve 5, and the rear brace which holds the rear portion of the sleeve downwardly when weight is applied to the seat.

To adjust the seat to its inner inoperative position, seat 7 is pivoted upon its hinge to a position in which the lower face of seat 7 engages the outer end of supporting bar 6 and bar 6 is then slid inwardly in sleeve 5, its inner movement being limited by means of the seat 7. In this position, the seat 7 completely covers the end of supporting bar 6 and its inner face engages the front of the bar. The outer face of seat 7 may be and preferably is formed of a material, such as leather, provided with suitable designs thereon so that when the seat is in its inner position, it serves as an ornament for the bar.

Another form of my invention is shown in Figs. 6 to l0 of the drawings. In this modification, the bar includes a shelf 28 which is rigidly secured in a conventional manner to the front and end walls of the bar by any suitable means, such as nails or screws, and a pair of sleeves 29 for each seat is provided having their forward ends extending through spaced openings 30 in the front wall of the bar and terminating substantially ilush with the outer face thereof. The rear end of the sleeves 29 have their ends secured to the shelf 28 in any desirable manner. As illustrated, sleeves 29 are tubular in form and each is secured at its rear end to shelf 28 by means of a bracket 31 having oppositely disposed ears provided with apertures to receive screws 32.

Telescopically arranged within sleeves 29 are a pair of similarly shaped seat-supporting bars 33, to each of which an end piece 34 is secured, such as by welding, the end pieces being provided at their free ends with apertures to receive a cross bar 35 which also extends through apertures in ears 36 extending downwardly from the opposite ends of a plate 37 to which plate the seat 38 issecured by suitable means, such as screws 39. To enable the seat to be fully supported on bars 33, it is provided with a pair of parallel recesses through each of which recesses one of the bars 33 extends. If desired, the recesses may be lined with metal bearings. The lower portion of the seat is also recessed to receive the plate 37.

To provide an additional brace for seat 38, a tubular sleeve 40 is pivotally mounted on the lower portion of4 the front of the bar or on the oor adjacent thereto in any suitable manner, such as by means of a ball and socket joint, or as illustrated, a pintle type hinge 41 may be provided, one tlange of which is secured to the floor adjacent the front wall of the bar and telescopically arranged within the sleeve 40 is a tubular bar 42, the oppo site end of which is provided with a head piece 43 which is welded or otherwise secured to the tubular bar 42. The head piece 43 is provided with an aperture through which cross bar 35 extends and lateral movement of the bar 42 relative to the seat is prevented by means of a U-shaped bearing member 44, the legs of which are apertured to receive cross bar 35 and the upper portion of which is welded or otherwise secured to plate 37. The bearing member 44 also serves to transmit a portion of the load upon the seat through cross bar 35 to bar 42. As shown, cross bar 35 is provided with apertures at its opposite ends through which cotter pins 45 extend to prevent lateral movement of the seat upon the cross bar.

Any suitable means may be provided to maintain bar 42 in its extended position. As shown, an aperture is provided in the upper end of sleeve 40 and a corresponding aperture is provided in the lower end of bar 42 and a dog 46 is pivotally mounted in the interior of bar 42, the lower end of which is urged outwardly by a spring 47 which engages the inner wall of bar 42. Dog 46 is provided with a shoulder 48 and when bar 42 is raised to its extended position, shoulder 48 is forced into engagement with sleeve 40 at the edge of its opening.

In this modification, means are also provided to limit outward movement of the seat supporting bars in sleeves 29 which means is similar to that shown and described in connection with Figs. l to 5 and which have consequently been designated by the same numerals.

When the seat shown in Figs. 6 to l0 is in its service position, the seat is supported by the shelf 28, sleeves 29, the outer ends of which extend through the openings in the front wall of the bar and terminate ush therewith, and by the outer supporting brace consisting of sleeve 40 and bar 42. To adjust the seat to its inner position, the seat is pivoted on cross bar 35 to a vertical position, dog 46 is pressed inwardly against the force of spring 47 and when seat-supporting bars 30 are forced inwardly in telescoping engagement with sleeves 29, bar 42 is received in sleeve 40 and as the seat 38 approaches its inner position, the upper end of bar 42 is received in a recess 49 in seat 35. In its inward position, the inner face of seat 38 engages the front of the bar and the only portion of the supporting means that is visible is the sleeve 40 and the upper end of bar 42. The seat 38 serves to obscure the openings in the front wall and substantially all of bar 42 and as previously stated its outer surface is preferably decorated or provided with designs to present an ornamental appearance. In moving seat 38 to its service position, it is only necessary to pull seat 38 outwardly to a position in which the tubular bar 42 is extended a sufficient distance to align the apertures in the upper portion of sleeve 40 and the lower portion of the bar 42 at which time spring 47 forces dog 46 outwardly to a position in which the shoulder 48 engages the inner edge of the opening in sleeve 40.

WhatI claim is:

l. In combination with a bar having a counter and a front wall provided with an opening and a floor on which the bar rests, a sleeve extending across said bar and having a portion extending outwardly through said openingv therein, a seat pivotally mounted on the outer end of the supporting bar and being movable from a horizontal service position to a vertical position in which it engages the outer end of the supporting bar, means for limiting the outward movement of said supporting bar and the inward movement of said supporting bar being limited by he engagement of the seat with the front wall of the 2. In combination with a bar having a counter and a front wall provided with an opening and a floor on which the bar rests, a rectangularly-shaped sleeve extending acro-ss the bar with its forward end extending through said opening and terminating substantially ush with the outer surface of said wall, a rectangularly-shaped supporting bar slidable in said sleeve, a seat pivotally mounted on the outer end of the supporting bar and being movable from a horizontal position to a substantially vertical position in which it engages the end of the sup porting bar, means for limiting the outward movement of said supporting bar and means for supporting said sleeve and said seat, said means including a brace secured to the inner end portion of said sleeve and to said oor for preventing upward movement of the inner end of said supporting bar when the seat is occupied and a trangularly-shaped brace arranged inside of the bar having its lower end portion secured to the oor and its upper end secured to said sleeve for bearing a major portion of the weight of a person occupying said seat, and the inward movement of said supporting bar being limited by the engagement of the inner face of said seat with the front wall of said bar.

3. In combination with a bar having a counter and a. front wall provided with an opening therein, a sleeve arranged Within and extendingy across said bar and having its outer end portion extending into said opening and terminating substantially flush with the outer surface of said wall, means arranged within the bar for supporting the inner end portion of said sleeve, a seat-supporting bar slidable in said sleeve, a seat having outer and inner faces. said seat being pivotally mounted on said supporting bar adiacent the outer end thereof and being movable from a substantially horizontal position in which its inner face rests upon the supporting bar to a substantially vertical position in which its inner face engages the outer end of the supporting bar, additional means for supporting said sleeve including a member having a base portion arranged in close proximity to the front of the bar and in spaced relation to the inner sleeve-supporting means, and said seat when in a vertical position being movable with its supporting bar to a position in which its inner face engages the front of the bar and obsecures the view of the supporting bar and its outer face provides an ornament for said bar.

4. In combination with a bar adapted to rest on a oor and having a front wall provided with an opening therein, a sleeve arranged within and extending across said bar and having its outer end portion arranged in said opening and terminating substantially ush with the outer surface of said wall, first means arranged within said bar and engaging the tloor for supportingy the rear end portion of said sleeve, second means spaced from the first means for supporting the front end portion of said sleeve which second means is arranged inside of said bar adiacent to said front wall and which also engages the floor, a supporting bar of substantially the same shape as said sleeve which supporting bar is slidable in said sleeve and has an outer fiat end, a seat having a lower substantially flat bottom portion, means for pivotally mounting said seat upon the upper outer end portion of the supporting bar with one part of its bottom at portion resting upon said supporting bar and another part extending outwardly beyond said supporting bar, and said seat being movable to a position in which its substantially flat bottom portion engages the flat end of said supporting bar, means for limiting the outward movement of said supporting bar, and the inward movement of said supporting bar being limited by the engagement of the substantially flat portion of said seat with the front wall of said bar.

5. In combination with a bar having a counter and a front wall provided with an opening therein, a horizontally extending sleeve arranged within and extending across said bar and having its outer end portion extending through the opening in the front wall and terminating substantially ilush therewith, means arranged within the bar at a substantial distance from said front wall for supporting the other end portion of said sleeve, a horizontally extending seat-supporting bar slidable Within said sleeve, a seat having a to-p portion and a bottom wall provided with a recess and a flat face, means associated with said seat and the outer end portion of said supporting bar including a member extending into said recess for pivotally mounting said seat on said bar and the flat face of said seat being in engagement with the upper portion of the seat-supporting bar when said bar and seat are in their operative positions, said seat being movable on said pivoting means from a substantially horizontal position to a substantially vertical position in which it engages the end of the seat-supporting bar and said seat being movable with the supporting bar to a position in which the inner face of the bottom wall of the seat engages said front wall to limit the inward movement of said supporting bar and to obscure said supporting bar and said pivoting means, and additional means for supporting said seat and seat-supporting bar including a member having a base portion arranged in proximity to the front of the bar and in spaced relation to the inner sleeve-supporting means.

6. The combination as dened in claim 5 in which the front wall of the bar has a pair of spaced openings and a pair of spaced sleeves extend across the bar, one of which extends through one of said openings and is flush with the front wall of the bar and the other of which extends through the other opening and is ush with the front Wall of the bar, and in which a pair of supporting bars are provided, one of which is slidable in one of said sleeves and the other of which is slidable in the other sleeve, means for connecting the outer ends of the supporting bars together and said seat being pivotally mounted on said connecting means.

7. The combination as defined in claim 5 in which one of the supporting means for said seat is pivotally mounted in front of the bar adjacent the bottom of the front wall.

8. The combination as defined in claim 5 in which the front Wall of the bar is provided with a pair of spaced openings and in which a pair of sleeves extend across the bar, one of which extends through one of said openings and the other of which extends through the other opening and both of which terminate llush with the front wall 0f the bar, and in which a pair of supporting bars are provided, one of which is slidable in one of said sleeves and the other of which is slidable in other sleeve, and in which one of the means for supporting the seat and its supporting bar is a brace comprising an outer sleeve pivotally mounted adjacent the front wall of said bar and having telescopically arranged therein a bracing bar, means for connecting the outer ends of the supporting bars together, and one end of said bracing bar being pivotally mounted on said connecting means, means for releasably maintaining said bracing bar in its extended position, and said seat being pivotally mounted on said connecting means.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 111,782 Sexton Feb. 14, 1871 244,191 Corwin July 12, 1881 571,651 Dearborn Nov.v 17, 1896 850,453 Winans Apr. 16, 1907 1,417,655 Zielinski May 30, 1922 2,491,144 Kondroik Apr. 22, 1924 

